Thanks to the legal assistance rendered by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey and the support received from across North America and throughout New Jersey for freedom of speech and assembly in East Rutherford, the unconstitutional attempts to prevent the showing of "Jenin Jenin" have been defeated, and the film will be shown AS SCHEDULED:
Film Screening and Discussion of "Jenin Jenin"
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
7:00 PM
East Rutherford Public Library
143 Boiling Springs Ave.
East Rutherford, NJ
The library's policies that hinder freedom of speech and assembly have been overturned. This is a victory for all who are concerned for civil liberties, and for all who have stood against the repeated attempts to silence voices for justice in Palestine. Thank you to all for your support!
Please tell your friends and family about the film screening of "Jenin Jenin" and come yourself to view this important, hard-hitting film. The voices of the people of Jenin must be heard!
New Jersey Solidarity - Activists for the Liberation of Palestine, an active Palestine solidarity organization based in New Jersey, plans to show the film "Jenin Jenin" on Wednesday, June 30, at 7:00 PM at the East Rutherford Public Library at 143 Boiling Springs Avenue in East Rutherford, NJ. In response, the East Rutherford Public Library has engaged in a variety of unconstitutional attempts to prevent the film from being shown. Your voice and support is needed to prevent the silencing of voices for justice in Palestine!
"Jenin Jenin" is a hard-hitting look at the 2002 Israeli invasion of the Jenin refugee camp, in which numerous Palestinians at the camp were killed and their homes destroyed. Produced by Palestinian director Mohammed Bakri, the film has been banned in Israel - and has been shown around the world countless times, winning the "Best Film" award at the Carthage International Film Festival in 2002. New Jersey Solidarity has hosted several screenings of the film, including showings at Rutgers University's Newark and New Brunswick campuses.
The East Rutherford Public Library is obliged under the US Constitution, as a public institution, to allow all to rent its public spaces without discrimination in regard to political viewpoint. After granting approval to New Jersey Solidarity to utilize the public meeting room, library director Karen DiNardo abruptly withdrew her approval, stating that the film was not "appropriate at this time." When confronted with the legal responsibility of the library to rent the space to all without discrimination, the library backed down - only to impose a new, and equally unconstitutional requirement - the purchase of a costly insurance bond, a requirement that both the US Supreme Court and the New Jersey Supreme Court have declared illegitimate.
Such insurance certificates have often been used as a means of preventing small organizations with low budgets from airing their views in public space. The insurance certificate required to show a film to approximately 35 people at the library would cost NJS between $350 and $500 - a major sum for a grassroots organization, and far less than the organization would pay to rent spaces in private buildings. New Jersey Solidarity, and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, have demanded that East Rutherford end its unconstitutional policy.
This is yet another attempt - equivalent to experiences at Rutgers University, and cities and towns across North America, to silence the voices speaking out for justice in Palestine. Activists are harassed, intimidated and denied access to public space, in attempts to prevent the public from learning the truth about Palestine - that five million refugees are prevented from returning to their homes and that Palestinians suffer under brutal military occupation daily at the behest of an apartheid, racist state that is funded and armed by the US government, receiving $15 million daily in tax aid and the latest in devastating weaponry with which to wage war upon the people of Palestine.
SUPPORT FREE SPEECH IN EAST RUTHERFORD!! YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED!
Call the EAST RUTHERFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY and demand they drop this unconstitutional interference with public discourse:
(201) 939-3930
Attend the showing of JENIN JENIN and inform others:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2004
7:00 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY
143 BOILING SPRINGS AVENUE
EAST RUTHERFORD NJ
Make it clear that voices for justice in Palestine cannot and will not be silenced!
Visit our website for updates and information:
http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org/
info@newjerseysolidarity.org
(973) 954-2521
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August 2003 Action Alert re: McGreevey purchase of Israel Bonds
September 2003 Action Alert re: Rutgers Admin cancels conference venue